Confusion
by mooray
Summary: Sam wakes up in an unfamiliar place where there are no adults. Nothing and nobody makes sense...
1. Chapter 1

I walk down the street. Around me, everyone is staring.

My clothes are in tatters. Maybe someone will give me some. But, I don't know these people. I don't know anything about them. They might not be friendly.

They're not looking at me in a friendly way. They're looking at me as if I'm doing something wrong. Like I shouldn't be here.

My head hurts. Why does my head hurt? I put my hand to my head, and it comes away bleeding. When did that happen?

It's so confusing. So loud. Who are these people? Why do they all look so hollow and sad? My head is hurting. I am so tired. What is happening to me?

I just want to lie down. But first I have to get out of this town. Oh God, I don't understand what is going on.

Now the people are staring at me. Pointing and whispering. But none of them are talking to me. Why not? Because I am a stranger. They do not know me and they are looking afraid. Good. Maybe if they are afraid they will not hurt me. Maybe they will just leave me to get out of this weird, haunting town where there are no adults.

What have they done to the adults? Maybe the adults ran away. Maybe they were killed by the children.

Nothing makes sense. This place is not right. Everything looks wrong.

A group of children approach me. They all look so happy and relieved. Why? What is there to be happy about?

I don't want to talk to them. I want to find some adults and find out what is going on. I want to leave this scary place where the children look like they have been tortured behind.

A blonde girl comes forward. She is rather pretty. Like the others, she wears rags. Her mouth is opening.

'Sam?' she asks.


	2. Chapter 2

The pretty blonde girl runs forward.

'Oh Sam we were so worried!' she cries. 'Where have you been?' Who is she talking to? I look behind me but there is no one there. So she thinks I am Sam. She is still talking.

'Where did you go? What happened?' A Mexican looking boy steps forward.

'Astrid, cool it. Don't give him the Spanish Inquisition yet. Look, he's bleeding. Let's get him to Dahra.'

Why do they want to take me to this dahra thing? I don't want to go with them.

The one he calls Astrid leads us all off down a small street coming away from the lake. This whole town is creeping me out. Everyone looks hollow and tired. Everybody is dirty. The children have a look in their faces which is scaring me – like they have been through more than any adults. I want to ask what has happened, but I am too wary of the children who are taking me somewhere.

I am so tired. My head hurts. I don't want to go anywhere. I want to go to a nice warm bed, with food.

My legs give out, and I land on my bottom. Everyone starts talking to me and asking questions, but my head is spinning, and their voices turn into a blur. Astrid squats down next to me.

'Sam?' she says quietly. 'Are you OK?' She seems to like me at least. I don't think she will hurt me.

'I'm not Sam,' I whisper. Everyone falls silent and stares at me like I am crazy.

'Let's get you to Dahra, OK? We'll see what's wrong with you, and then we'll understand.'

The Mexican boy turns. 'Dahra's here,' he says. The small crowd parts to let it through. It's a girl.

Astrid starts talking again. Not to me though, to Dahra.

'I think he might have concussion. His head's swelling and…' she raps out, listing my symptoms.

'I don't think he has concussion,' Dahra says.

'What is it then?' asks a thin girl with red hair. Dahra ignores her and faces Astrid.

'Why don't you come inside,' she suggests. But I know from her face that something is wrong. She doesn't want to say what is wrong with me in front of all these people. Astrid nods, and Dahra leads her inside. The Mexican boy helps me up, and then follows us in.

Inside it is too dark and too dirty. It is like the outside – it looks like it might have done five hundred years ago.

Astrid immediately is asking Dahra loads of questions, but Dahra doesn't listen. Instead she is consulting books, occasionally inspecting me.

Eventually she turns to us.

'Sam, Astrid, Edilio,' she begins. So the Mexican boy is Edilio. 'I think, I can't be sure, but I think Sam has amnesia.' They all turn to look at me. For a second it doesn't make sense, and then I remember what amnesia is. It's when you forget all of your personal details.

Nobody says anything, but I can see from their faces that they think it is true. After a pause that seems to last ten minutes, Astrid takes my hand.

'Poor Sam,' she says. I hold her hand, now realizing what probably happened.

Firstly I feel relief. Because these people think they know me, and seem to like me, it seems they aren't about to kill me.

Then the fear comes in. If this is true, and I have a horrible feeling it is, it means I am stuck here. In this place which is like something out of a nightmare, not just from the horror of it, but from the weirdness. Nothing is right. All the people look tired, hungry and scared. Not too much, but just enough for me to know that there is something wrong with these people.

It appears I am one of these people.

I realise Dahra has been talking behind me. She's saying something about how it's not permanent; according to the books most amnesiac patients recover their memories.

If this is true, my life has just turned into something out of a horror story. Dahra starts applying a cream to my head wound, and then putting a bandage over it. The cream stings, but the bandage is helping to keep me focused, by stopping my blood from draining away.

More people come into this room, supporting someone who appears to have twisted their ankle. Edilio rises and I know we must go so Dahra can help this other child.

It's then that I realise I don't know if I have anywhere to go. I wait until we are out on the street before venturing a question.

'Where do I live?' I ask. Astrid and Edilio look surprised, and then remember that I really don't know anything about my life.

'You live in a boat cabin, a nice one,' Edilio answers. I don't want to appear pushy, so don't ask them who, if anyone, I live with.

Edilio and Astrid are having a murmured conversation behind me.

'Thank God you came back when you did,' Edilio says.

'I know. Just another fortnight and I wouldn't be here now to help.'

'You're OK?' he asks.

'Yeah, just shocked, you know? I mean, Sam was always…..' she trails off when she sees me looking.

By now we have wormed our way back to the lake. We stop by a moderately large boat, and I realise this is to be my home.

Edilio stays on the shore, while I follow Astrid up the ramp into my home.


End file.
